The legalization of recreational marijuana saw broad support in Maricopa County in 2020.

In 2016, the legalization of marijuana, under Prop 205, failed in Arizona by 2.6% . In 2020, legalization was on the ballot again as Prop 207. This time, the legalization of marijuana passed with a margin of 20% .

This dramatic shift shows a notable change in Arizonan’s opinions on the legalization of marijuana in a short 4 year time period. The average precinct level shift in “yes votes” from 2016 to 2020 was around 12% .

This shift in support was seen across demographics, and does not appear to have been driven by the same variables that saw Maricopa County elect a Democratic president for the first time in over 20 years. Despite wide support, there are still strong correlations between demographics and their support for the legalization of marijuana.

In the plots to your right, you can see how 4 key variables correlate with the support for legalizing marijuana. Note that the support for Prop 207 was largely driven by younger, more diverse, and more liberal precincts.